A controversial news story that was abruptly removed from the TV show 60 Minutes appears to have leaked online this week after a last-minute decision to retract the story sparked a public debate over the independence of journalists.
The segment featured interviews with migrants who were sent to a notorious Salvadoran prison called the Center for Terrorism (CECOT) as a result of President Donald Trump's aggressive crackdown on immigration.
The story appears to have been recorded on the Global Television Network, one of Canada's largest television networks. The story appears to have been deleted, but it is still on a website that captures and saves web pages after they are deleted.
It is unclear how or why this story came to light. Representatives for CBS News and Global TV did not respond to an emailed request for comment Tuesday morning and would not confirm the authenticity of the video.
Numerous deportees in leaked videos report torture, beatings and abuse. One Venezuelan deportee featured in the leaked video said he was punished with sexual violence and solitary confinement.
Another deportee said guards beat him and broke his bones as soon as he arrived.
“When you get there, you already know you're in hell. You don't need anyone to tell you that,” he said.
The story featured numerous experts who questioned the legal basis for such a hasty deportation of migrants against the backdrop of expected court decisions.
The decision to drop the article critical of the Trump administration was met with widespread accusations that CBS management was shielding the president from unfavorable coverage.
Journalist Sharyn Alfonsi, who broke the story, said in an email sent to fellow 60 Minutes reporters that the story was factually correct and had been reviewed by CBS lawyers and its standards department. CBS news chief Bari Weiss said Monday that the story “doesn't move the ball forward” and noted that the Trump administration has declined to comment on the story. Weiss said she wished she had made more of an effort to get their perspective and said she looked forward to airing Alfonsi's piece “when it's ready.”
The controversy has once again thrust one of journalism's most respected brands – and a frequent target of Trump – into the spotlight and heightened questions about whether Weiss' appointment was a signal that CBS News was moving in a more Trump-friendly direction.
